AnotidaMandemwa

[WSA 2024 Entry]
Everyone is playing a regal game. Everyone except Lucia (who probably should).

After her father faced accusations of trying to seize the throne from his father and king, he was exiled along with his family. They were no longer royalty, but his wife would not have it. She was friends with the queen of Vershia and used that to her advantage. Her two older daughters were the right age to marry the two princes, and she would make that happen come what may.

That became a problem when the oldest daughter was ignored by the crown prince, who formed a friendship with the youngest of the girls. There was still hope; Lucia could become the future queen. But Lucia was not groomed for this role. She did not want to live for the type of marriage she could snag. She did not want to take the man who had been planned for her sister.

But that’s the thing with plans, isn’t it? She never planned to fall in love with the man, and there she was: an unwilling participant in the regal games. Would she capture the crown? How would everything affect her relationship with her sister? Was there ever pleasing her mother?

Regal Games

Lucia and Adela were seated together behind their fiancés. Caroline was seated with them, but she had her husband beside her, holding her hand. Crown Prince Michael of Vershia was facing forward. Lucia could see how stiff he looked. It took everything in her to be relaxed and not feed off his tension.

She looked at Adela, who was facing forward, her face unreadable. Like a block of ice. She looked at her hands and could see the slight tremor in her joined hands. The speech that the King of Siambi was giving was altering their lives and their future.

Why was she not tense or scared, or at least apprehensive? She had expected to be shaky, but she felt distant. Like she was watching something totally unrelated to her. But it was related to her. This was her family they were talking about.

Disconnected